Shochu that goes with shiitake
Savory and salt
These are bottles to mix shiitake into. Some of them taste of it too, and where that is the reason a bottle is here, its line says so.
A dried shiitake steeped in the spirit for a day. Savory and strange in the best way.
Best bottles for shiitake
The strongest matches in the catalogue, across every style. Everything below is the same ranking opened out by what the shochu is made from.
Dried shiitake is the umami bomb of the Japanese pantry
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
Earth on earth
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
barley, chocolate, umami, smooth
barley, chocolate, earthy, smooth
barley, umami, rich, sweet
Grouped by what the shochu is made from, because that is the level the reasoning works at: what this does to an imo shochu is a fact about imo shochu rather than about one bottle. Within each style the strongest matches come first, and bottles we pour are marked rather than promoted. The scores are the same engine that recommends a mixer from a bottle, run the other way round, but the labels are not: a bottle page badges at most twelve strong matches and at most three per family, so that the twelve describe that bottle rather than the same citrus and soda every time. Here there is no cap, so a pairing badged strong on this page can read as a good match on the bottle's own.
Imo shochu
An earthy bottle has a savoury side already, and these meet it rather than trying to sweeten it away.
Dried shiitake is the umami bomb of the Japanese pantry
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami, soft, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, clean, aged
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
Show the other 142 shiitake matches
sweet potato, umami, soft, clean
sweet potato, umami, rich, aged
sweet potato, smooth, nutty, umami
A long aged spirit and dried mushroom share a forest floor note
sweet potato, umami, rich, sweet
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, umami, sweet, rich
sweet potato, fruity, silky, smooth
sweet potato, sweet, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, tropical fruit, bright, aged
sweet potato, smooth, aged
sweet potato, umami
sweet potato, milky, soft, aged
sweet potato, rich, smooth, umami
sweet potato, smooth, umami, light-bodied
sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, earthy
sweet potato, spice, clean, sharp
sweet potato, shiso, smooth, tea
sweet potato, coffee, earthy, pepper
sweet potato, umami, smooth
sweet potato, light-bodied, dry, aged
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, rich, clean
sweet potato, umami, rich
sweet potato, sweet, clean, rich
sweet potato, fruity, umami, rich
sweet potato, sweet, smooth, aged
sweet potato, pear, grassy, rich
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, whisky-like, aged
Bottles that taste of mushroom meet the mushroom
sweet potato, rich, soft, aged
sweet potato, clean, aged
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, soft, clean
sweet potato, soft, smooth, aged
sweet potato, vanilla, toast, spice
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, dry
sweet potato, lychee, chocolate, bright
sweet potato, soft, smooth, rich
sweet potato, tropical fruit, spice, light-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, aged
sweet potato, lychee, white peach, tropical fruit
sweet potato, tropical fruit, pepper, sweet
sweet potato, earthy, crisp, aged
sweet potato, purple sweet potato, berry, yogurt
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
citrus, pear, sweet potato, clean
sweet potato, sweet, clean, soft
sweet potato, pineapple, tropical fruit, fruity
sweet potato, pineapple, maple, mineral
sweet potato, banana, vanilla, clean
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, rich, clean, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, soft, tea
sweet potato, light-bodied, long finish
sweet potato, lychee, grape, muscat
sweet potato, fruity, soft, sweet
sweet potato, apple, soft, rich
sweet potato, soft, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich, light-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, sweet, soft, light-bodied
sweet potato, fruity, soft
sweet potato, soft, dry, sweet
sweet potato, tea, rich
sweet potato, berry, soft, sweet
sweet potato, roasted grain
sweet potato, smooth, toast
sweet potato, spice, sweet
sweet potato, light-bodied, clean, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, melon, banana, sweet
sweet potato, whisky-like, cask
sweet potato, funky
sweet potato, smooth, rich, sweet
sweet potato, rich, sweet
sweet potato, soft, light-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, smooth, rich
sweet potato, fruity
sweet potato, sweet, clean, fruity
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, fruity, bright
sweet potato, pear, grassy, light-bodied
sweet potato, yogurt, creamy texture
sweet potato, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, roasted grain, sweet
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, white peach, grape, berry
sweet potato, vanilla, creamy texture, bright
sweet potato, roasted sweet potato, sweet
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, vanilla
sweet potato, rich, purple sweet potato
sweet potato, soft, sweet
sweet potato, full-bodied, sweet
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, bright
sweet potato, smooth
sweet potato, sweet, soft, rich
sweet potato, smooth, sweet, long finish
sweet potato, chocolate, sherry-like, cask
sweet potato, smoky, rich, long finish
sweet potato, sweet, rich, full-bodied
sweet potato, citrus, floral, sweet
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, smooth
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
sweet potato, citrus, floral, caramel
sweet potato, tropical fruit, floral, caramel
Mugi shochu
Dashi-wari and an umeboshi in hot barley shochu are real izakaya orders, but they belong to a winter counter rather than a summer glass.
Dried shiitake is the umami bomb of the Japanese pantry
barley, umami, rich, sweet
barley, umami, rich, aged
barley, citrus, melon, white peach
Show the other 86 shiitake matches
barley, earthy, mineral, pepper
A long aged spirit and dried mushroom share a forest floor note
barley, soft, light-bodied, clean
barley, smooth, long finish, aged
barley, smooth, light-bodied, clean
barley, smoky, soft, cask
barley, smooth, rich, aged
barley, smooth, rich, whisky-like
barley, umami, rich, sharp
barley, rich, full-bodied, cask
barley, umami, savory, clean
barley, vanilla, spice, cask
barley, rice, umami
barley, citrus, melon, banana
barley, caramel, rich, sweet
Bottles that taste of mushroom meet the mushroom
barley, vanilla, chocolate, nutty
barley, toast, savory, rich
barley, toast, spice, rich
barley, chocolate, coffee, rich
barley, umami, light-bodied
barley, pear, banana, bread
barley, caramel, chocolate, smoky
barley, cask, aged
barley, jasmine, honey, vanilla
barley, soft, silky, smooth
barley, soft, cask, aged
barley, rich, cask, aged
barley, toast, cereal, rich
barley, vanilla, nutty, toast
barley, cask, aged
barley, dry, cask, aged
A dried shiitake steeped in the spirit for a day. Savory and strange in the best way.
barley, bright, clean, light-bodied
barley, tropical fruit, light-bodied
barley, smooth, rich, light-bodied
barley, pear, soft, spice
barley, soft, clean
barley, chocolate, rich, full-bodied
barley, apple, pineapple, creamy texture
barley, honey, chocolate, spice
barley, roasted grain
barley, sesame, grassy, chocolate
barley, toast, rich, light-bodied
barley, banana, white peach, tea
barley, smooth, dry
barley, white peach, cherry, soft
barley, soft, bright
barley, soft, chocolate, toast
barley, banana, toast
barley, toast, light-bodied, sweet
barley, fruity, light-bodied
barley, sweet, clean
barley, banana, berry, bread
Awamori
Dried shiitake is the umami bomb of the Japanese pantry
rich, full-bodied, aged, umami
rice, umami, clean, light-bodied
Bottles that taste of mushroom meet the mushroom
rice, smooth, soft, clean
umami, rich, full-bodied, cask
Show the other 53 shiitake matches
A long aged spirit and dried mushroom share a forest floor note
rice, clean, smooth, aged
rice, pear, caramel, rich
rice, smooth, savory, aged
rice, bright, aged
rice, clean, bright, aged
rice, citrus, cereal, aged
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, soft, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, rich, sweet
rice, soft, rich, sweet
rice, soft, aged
rice, sweet, smooth, rich
rice, smooth, soft, aged
rice, soft, clean, aged
rice, roasted grain, aged
rice, citrus, roasted grain, sweet
rice, sherry-like, aged
rice, aged
rice, citrus, vanilla, chocolate
rice, steamed rice, soft, caramel
rice, sweet, soft, smooth
rice, smooth, sweet, aged
rice, smooth, sweet, oily
rice, vanilla, funky, creamy texture
rice, citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla
rice, nutty, dry, aged
Kome shochu
Dried shiitake is the umami bomb of the Japanese pantry
A long aged spirit and dried mushroom share a forest floor note
rice, vanilla, smooth, cask
rice, vanilla, smooth, sweet
Show the other 21 shiitake matches
rice, soft, rich, aged
rice, soft, light-bodied, aged
rice, light-bodied, dry, aged
rice, banana, vanilla, chocolate
rice, vanilla, cask, aged
rice, smooth, aged, cask
rice, cask, aged
rice, smooth, light-bodied, sweet
rice, soft, smoky, creamy texture
Kokuto shochu
Dried shiitake is the umami bomb of the Japanese pantry
A long aged spirit and dried mushroom share a forest floor note
kokuto, cask, aged
Show the other 6 shiitake matches
kokuto, soft, light-bodied, sweet
kokuto, light-bodied, clean, aged
kokuto, rich, long finish, aged
kokuto, smooth, smoky, cask
kokuto, smooth, cask, aged
Soba shochu
Buckwheat is a savoury grain, and a soba restaurant already serves this spirit next to dashi.
buckwheat, nutty, earthy, vanilla
A long aged spirit and dried mushroom share a forest floor note
buckwheat, cask, aged
Dried shiitake is the umami bomb of the Japanese pantry
A dried shiitake steeped in the spirit for a day. Savory and strange in the best way.
Show the other 4 shiitake matches
buckwheat, barley, rice
Kasutori, chestnut and other bases
Dried shiitake is the umami bomb of the Japanese pantry
tea, umami, savory, rich
A long aged spirit and dried mushroom share a forest floor note
Show the other 4 shiitake matches
smooth, rich, full-bodied, sweet